This week saw the “resume” of our in person fitness classes and aerial program! Starting May 31 our pole courses resume in person classes. We spent the entire month of May (ok, really since mid-April when the stay at home was extended) planning for this resume. We’ve used that time to put together a clear and concise plan for resuming that includes revising our 8-week pole curriculum to prevent injuries when return. You can’t just jump in where you left off. Even if you were fortunate to have a pole at home you likely haven’t been training in the same way you did at the studio. What does this mean for pole classes? The first few weeks back in ALL levels will be review. If you’re in a Beginner Pole course, you only had two weeks under you belt when we paused so the review will be shorter than for an Advanced 2 student. You can’t come back after time off and immediately go back to your last invert, that would be unsafe. Instead we are excited to have created a curriculum for these upcoming weeks that will remind you of some of your old favorites, teach you some new tricks and help you rebuild your pole stabilizing muscles in an efficient way. There will be cardio and strength to help you build your general fitness as well as reignite your pole skills.
Spotting isn’t part of phase one. Why? Social distancing is real and highly recommended during this time. My instructors need a little time to get acclimated to all the other changes before adding close personal contact. Yes, we have a plan outlined for when we do resume spotting, likely mid June. But we are also watching how the changes in government regulation impacts the virus and how the CDC recommendations change as the state opens up. When it is a week out from resuming spotting in classes we will announce our policy for it so you are aware what will be happening. And as always, you can choose to not do a spotted trick and instead work on something else if you’d prefer to maintain social distancing.
In my opinion, the muscle stuff and desensitizing is a drag to rebuild but fairly easy. It comes back so much faster than the first time you built it (I know, I’ve “come back” multiple times in my pole career). The harder piece is your mind. We’re are VERY aware of the mind game that is going to be part of returning. No matter how many times we tell you to not compare yourself to others in the room you do….and now the biggest person you’re going to be comparing yourself to is a ghost. It’s the version of you that you “would have been” had the safer at home not happened. And you know what, ghosts seem damn near perfect, nevermind that they aren’t real (in this instance!) So my staff will keep reminding you to focus on where you ARE and what you have NOW. Our curriculum changes are also in place to make sure our women feel success, quickly and often, because it’s challenging to take time off and then come back and fight the “but I used to be able to do that” monster in addition to the ghost of who you “would have been” without the time off. We are spending a lot of time carefully combating these beasts with curriculum changes so our women feel safe and comfortable returning.
We are also preparing for the new disparity between those that have a pole at home and those that do not, because this is a head game all in of itself for our members and we have to be prepared with curriculum so everyone feels appropriately challenged and successful when returning to in person classes. And it is with this last piece we need our members help. If you had a pole at home, please use the “review” time to really work on improving your technique. Point that back foot. Make every move intentional and beautiful. And cheer like hell for the woman standing next to you who hasn’t sat on a pole for two months and it hurts like hell. Our instructors will give everyone variations to help them feel successful and challenged but it is the job of every woman in that pole studio to help everyone feel successful. During our time apart we showed how strong our sisterhood really is, now let’s celebrate the heck out of it when resuming pole classes!
We’ve worked REALLY hard on creating a plan for resuming in the safest way possible. We can’t wait to see all our women again and put our revised pole curriculum into motion. Please remember the most important part of the plan is to respect our sisterhood and not attend:
- If you feel ill or are exhibiting any symptoms (coughing, sneezing, fever, etc.)
- If you have been in contact with anyone suspected of COVID-19 in the last 14 days
- If you have been traveling anywhere high risk in the last 14 days
and please remember to take your temperature BEFORE coming to the studio every time - If your temperature is over 100.4° do not come to the studio.
Together we will safely resume in person pole classes! We can’t wait to spin with all of you again!